Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Threads

Although the debut album by Zaraza is quite experimental, I don't hear any of the wacky experimentation and unorthodox instruments of avant-garde metal. This is really just the band's usual industrial death-doom. With that, I'd like to submit Zaraza's "Slavic Blasphemy" to the Hall to be removed from The Infinite while keeping its position in The Fallen and The Sphere. And I'd like to encourage Fallen members to vote in the death-doom subgenre.

I consider this Deathrite EP more than just blackened crust, more like hardcore/blackened death 'n' roll. Many of the tracks have the deathly heaviness and old-school-sounding melody of death 'n' roll, and the tremolos and higher vocals of black metal, enough to qualify for both of those genres. So I'd like to submit Deathrite's "Delirium" to the Hall with two entries to be added to 1. The Horde as death 'n' roll, and 2. The North as black metal.

I've done my review, here's its summary:

The Spectre Within is a true progressive/US power metal gem! It even has a slight edge over their next album Awaken the Guardian that other fans prefer. Their second album with they really start to add progressiveness to their US power metal sound. My first full experience with this band's material was 5 years ago. I was more focused on heavier modern metal than the more melodic old-school metal of yore. I enjoyed the music a lot but eventually got tired of it, especially the vocals. Some things need some time away from me to restore the glory, and when I came back just a few days before this review, I can hear it again as the masterpiece I first thought it was. And I've realized that I enjoy the earlier heavy/progressive metal era of their first 3 albums more than their subsequent melodic progressive metal era. John Arch is one of the best vocalists of the genre. He may sound annoying at first but then you realize how amazing he is with his unique voice. The classic heavy/US power metal side is mixed together with the progressiveness of the band's subsequent albums, the latter best hinted at in a long 12-minute closing epic. In fact, I may just say that The Spectre Within is the true start to the progressive metal genre. Every metalhead should get that offering and listen to this incredible talent. All praise Fates Warning!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Traveler in Time", "Without a Trace", "The Apparition", "Epitaph"

For fans of: Crimson Glory, Dream Theater, Queensryche (especially their earlier material at that time)

I've done my review, here's it's summary:

Re-recording albums can cause some mixed reactions from a band/artist's fanbase. Some enjoy the idea of earlier songs getting a more modern production, while others prefer just hearing new songs. Sadly, we live in a world where people can easily judge something before giving it a try. One other suspicious thing was the timing; at the same time as this release was announced, his former band Helloween embarked on the Pumpkins United tour that saw the return of Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske, but not Roland Grapow. Turns out it was a big coincidence, since Roland began working on the project a couple years before that tour. All I'm gonna say is, this album is a great way to revisit some Helloween classics, with Rick Altzi's vocals guiding you through alongside the other members. The songs are mostly from Pink Bubbles Go Ape, Chameleon, and Master of the Rings, plus a few other songs Roland has written in his remaining albums with the band. Those remaining songs from The Time of the Oath and The Dark Ride have the epic heaviness that would shape up some of Masterplan's more well-known material. The more rock-ish songs are given a heavier treatment. The quirky songs aren't the best but still fun. We should also be grateful for Masterplan's existence that would continue the darker heavier sound he wanted to make since The Dark Ride. PumpKings is for fans of Helloween and/or Masterplan, better if it suits what you really like....

4/5

Recommended tracks (one song per original album): "Mankind", "Still We Go", "The Time of the Oath", "Music", "The Dark Ride"

For fans of: Helloween, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Lord of the Lost - "Bazaar Bizarre" from OPVS NOIR Vol. 1 (2025)

4.5/5. Starting off hard is this majestic opener with Chris Harms' haunting verses. The softness of those verses are in contrast with the chorus of aggression and beauty.

Blue Stahli - "Not Over Til We Say So" from The Devil (2015)

4/5. From the metallic intro, a great heavy banger awaits! I like the background vocals by Emma Anzai of Sick Puppies.

Mechina - "Praise Hydrus" from Venator (2022)

3.5/5. This long epic has effective riffing worth praising, but despite its 8-minute length, it feels like it should've been a little longer with more added.

The Interbeing - "In the Transcendence" from Edge of the Obscure (2011)

4/5. Some spoken female vocals can be heard in this groove-filled (mostly) instrumental.

Skold - "Don't Pray for Me" from Don't Pray for Me (2002/2022)

4.5/5. Skold has made many industrial rock/metal tracks, but this one wasn't released in an album until 20 years after its recording. Never a disappointment!

Not My God, Skold - "Fiction" from Fiction (2020)

4/5. I haven't really included any Skold tracks in past playlists, so let's continue this Skold streak with a couple tracks featuring him, starting with this one. It's more industrial-based similar to Nine Inch Nails yet still having that Sphere sound. I just wish the vocals were louder.

Awake at Last, Skold - "Living Fiction" from Living Fiction (2023)

4.5/5. Then the fiction comes to life in one more amazing collab with Skold! I love the lyrical message here, and it's the kind of music to headbang to while having pizza and soda. H*lla beautiful riffing right here!

Turmion Katilot - "Pienet Pirut" from Dance Panique (2017)

5/5. This standout continues the dance-y industrial metal sound similar to Deathstars.

Zynthetic - "Pathogen" from Soundtrack for the Apocalypse (2010)

4.5/5. Zynthetic and Mick Gordon are masters of creating soundtracks for sci-fi action video games filled with violence and gore. Absolutely bada** industrial metal! You know there's a lot of zombie-killing in Killing Floor, just like in Call of Duty. If a song is part of the game, it's meant to be played to enhance the experience.

Lard - "Ballad of Marshall Bedletter" from 70's Rock Must Die (2000)

4/5. This one stomps with the industrial metal sound once more.

The Amenta - "Psoriastasis" from Revelator (2021)

4/5. This one is a punishing blaster with a relentless breakdown halfway through.

Gighandi - "Spasmodic" from Rafflesia (1996)

4.5/5. Imagine the industrial metal of Godflesh mixed with the post-sludge of Neurosis, then you have this band! And speaking of Godflesh...

Godflesh - "Wound" from Streetcleaner (1989)

5/5. Another standout with its main riff bringing down even the tallest and most stable building.

Black Magnet - "Smokeskreen" from Megamantra (2025)

4.5/5. This one almost reminds me of Godflesh's new album Purge, particularly in that album's highlights.

Samsas Traum - "Wir fahren in den Himmel (Und ich kotze Angst)" from Poesie: Friedrichs Geschichte (2015)

4/5. Pretty great for an Neue Deutsche Harte song. This song has also spawned a music video which is not often for this band, and not often do you see a doodle-animated music video either. When you have the courage to try different things, you might find something beautiful. However, as great as this track, I'm still not into NDH. I just don't get its success when I can't understand German. But how it all turned out is fine as it is.

Samael - "In Gold We Trust" from Lux Mundi (2011)

3.5/5. Good artful lyrics in this solid tune! It signifies how money makes the world go round despite its opposition against religion. Generally, materialism over humanity. The composition is a little embarrassing though.

Halo - "Wasps Encircle the Shroud" from Guattari (From the West Flows Grey Ash and Pestilence) (2001)

3/5. This is one of those tracks where it sounds all crushing and heavy but at the same time I'm like "Why did I add in this song?!"

Megaherz - "Der Konig Der Dummen" from In Teufels Namen (2023)

2.5/5. Now I'm asking that question about this song. Probably the worst song of this playlist! Fine in some parts bout otherwise just plain dumb. Don't listen...

Static-X - "Chemical Logic" from Cannibal (2007)

3/5. RIP Wayne Static... His ability to combine Slayer-esque thrash with the electronics Skrillex would later have is quite unique. Not great, but unique.

Crest of Darkness - "Inexplicable Bloodthristiness" from Evil Knows Evil (2004)

3.5/5. F***ing h*ll, this industrial black metal blend is quite good! Though still a little too intense.

Eisheilig - "Flug der Mowen" from Elysium (2006)

4/5. Another better NDH song to love! Clearly this one and that Samsas Traum track are a better deal than the Megaherz one.

2wo - "Deep in the Ground" from Voyeurs (1998)

4.5/5. Shooting through some more of the cool industrial rock/metal is one of the best tracks of that 2wo album.

Fear Factory - "Terminate" from Hatefiles (2003)

5/5. The last song with guitarist Dino Cazares before his hiatus from the band. As I've said before, I was not into modern metal like this band in my high school-age years, as I was more focused on power metal. But the older millennials may remember this from The Terminator: Dawn of Fate video game. The album the song appears in, Hateflies, is filled with heavy rarities. I honestly wish this song was as f***ing popular as their greatest hits and worth playing live. Then-bassist Christian Olde Wolbers would take over on guitars during Cazares' time off. Then Cazares would rejoin the band in 2009 while Wolbers founded the short-lived Arkaea.

Black Light Discipline - "Same Story, Different People" from Empire (2008)

4.5/5. If you think about it, each band in a genre is like a story told by different people. Still, bands like this one has some uniqueness.

Daedalean Complex - "The Last Dawn" from The Void of Chaos (2024)

4/5. We're approaching the last part of the playlist, where things get less experimental and more melodic, such as this melancholic track.

Atrocity - "Seasons in Black" from Gemini (2000)

4.5/5. Another cool underrated track! The end is near...

A Dark Halo - "Unbreakable" from Catalyst (2006)

5/5. An incredible ending track for its original album, as heavy guitars and beautiful synths continue to duel each other for an industrial/cyber metal tune that should really catch on along with the others.

Omega Lithium - "Point Blank" from Dreams in Formaline (2009)

4.5/5. This highlight shows us the scary consequences of society's self destruction. That's actually quite political, and I'm not one to discuss those kinds of topics. Still it's a beautiful way to end, if not including one final track...

Neurotech - "Escapism" from Exo Escapism (2025)

5/5. One of the most beautiful album endings I've heard. Warm synths battle against cold riffs once more, as the soft vocals give you hope. It's practically "Ultra Us" 2.0!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Miss May I - "Pray for Silence" from Pray for Silence (2025)

4.5/5. A well-done steady start to this playlist, Miss May I's brand new single!

Lorna Shore - "Prison of Flesh" from Prison of Flesh (2025)

5/5. For the songs in the new Lorna Shore album with breakdowns, its opening track with the best one is this grand rollercoaster ride through stampeding deathcore. A killer way to start this offering!

We Came as Romans - "Dreams" from To Plant a Seed (2009)

4.5/5. RIP Kyle Pavone... The lyrics really hit hard and strong, having more Christian tendencies back in those days, really reaching my heart and soul. "Beloved let us love one another, this is my deepest dream".

Cave In - "N.I.B." from Anomalies, Vol. 1 (2010)

4/5. The band this cover as awesome as the original Black Sabbath hit. Somehow turning an early heavy metal classic into atmospheric metalcore works. RIP Ozzy Osbourne

Neaera - "The Escape from Escapism" from Armamentarium (2007)

4/5. Some top-notch melodeath/metalcore right here! We really need more of that in the modern era.

Fear of Domination - "Inner Lies" from VI: Revelation (2021)

4.5/5. This one starts with the sample that begins Strapping Young Lad's "Home Nucleonics" ("The beat starts here"). The song is a shredtastic highlight with more of those heavy verses and melodic chorus.

Blood of the Martyrs - "The Devil's Grip" from Endgame (2016)

5/5. I love the band's talent in this one. This is kinda like Fit for a King with some bits of Slipknot's Iowa, especially in the vocals. And those vocals consist of a perfect balance between cleans and screams. There's also some early 7 Horns 7 Eyes vibes here.

Of Mice & Men - "Troubled Water" from Troubled Water (2025)

4.5/5. Another miracle is coming, and it's the album Another Miracle! I think the Aaron Pauley is underrated compared to the Austin Carlile era that I still enjoy. We still have some killer heaviness, and starting the last minute of the track is perhaps the longest, most intense scream by Aaron. That and the industrial vibes make this song a banger.

The Pretty Wild - "Paradox" from Paradox (2025)

4/5. First there was The Pretty Reckless, then there's The Pretty Wild! I actually enjoying the rapping that goes well with the singing and screaming.

Winds of Plague - "The Impaler" from Decimate the Weak (2008)

4.5/5. Winds of Plague and The Breathing Process are tied as the first two bands to add symphonics to deathcore. I probably wouldn't have been into this band 10 years ago when I was a power metal-loving teen who wasn't ready for brutality and heavy amounts of swearing. Those brutal moments that I now enjoy include the riffing at the 45-second mark and the destructive breakdown over a minute later. Certainly not a song they would be allowed to play in church venues.

Drown in Sulphur - "Buried by Snow and Hail" from Dark Secrets of the Soul (2024)

5/5. This highlight levels up the orchestral elements in the usual brutal speed of deathcore.

Ice Nine Kills - "Take Your Pick" from Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 (2021)

4.5/5. This song based on My Bloody Valentine features Cannibal Corpse vocalist Corpsegrinder in probably the most brutal heaviest song of the album, an outright mix of death metal and metalcore (equals deathcore). This collaboration would really hack your face with a pickaxe.

The Breathing Process - "Metamorphosis" from Odyssey (Un)Dead (2010)

5/5. Another standout filled with absolute g****mn fire. Anthemic rage pours from the chords, vocals, and icy keys, making perhaps the most powerful highlight of the album!

Snapcase - "Caboose" from Progression Through Unlearning (1997)

5/5. The perfect anthem to start its original album. Vocalist Darryl Taberski unleashes his screaming power with full intensity. I appreciate the work the band has put in their songs. The lyrics are clear and empowering, without any incohesive rambling. That's what makes the album the energetic masterpiece it is!

Take the Flame - "One to Lose" from One to Lose (2025)

4.5/5. Some killer gems can be found via YouTube ads, the only times YouTube doesn't disappoint me. Amazing riff melodies throughout along with the amazing midsection breakdown. I also like the audible basswork here. More potential for those guys in the future!

Catsclaw - "Perfect Death" from Perfect Death (2025)

4/5. And here's another YouTube ad discovery! This one captivates me with thall-fueled intensity.

DIESECT - "HIDE FROM THE LIGHT" from HIDE FROM THE LIGHT (2025)

4.5/5. HOLY SH*T, this hits hard! It gets me hooked with some industrial vibes within ear-drilling metalcore violence. The downtuned guitars really pack a punch.

LEVELS - "Covert One" from Covert One (2025)

4/5. This band really fires things up sounding similar to Northlane, Bury Tomorrow, and ERRA. Well-done lyrics in this banger!

Frontieres, Joel Holmqvist - "Cybernetic Dream" from Cybernetic Dream (2025)

4.5/5. I almost thought this was that mathcore band Frontierer when I first encountered this song, but this is still top-notch metalcore to love. I also hear a bit of Crystal Lake within the music, especially in the growls by Joel Holmqvist of Aviana. Even when the chorus is clean, it's filled with destructive rage.

ERRA - "Gore of Being" from Gore of Being (2025)

5/5. Jesse Cash needs to be recognized more for his talent in both guitar and cleans. This highlight continues the modern sound of their self-titled album and Cure.

BOI WHAT - "Time's Up" from Time's Up (2025)

4.5/5. Here's another banger from this Plankton AI metal project, and it's more cinematic than his other songs.

Kingdom of Giants - "Digital Hell" from Digital Hell (2025)

4/5. I enjoy the synths in this one, sounding like it's borrowed from Mechina. Good to see Jonathan Reeves doing well in both this band and The Amity Affliction.

Fit for a King - "Blue Venom" from Lonely God (2025)

3.5/5. Interesting vibes from Currents and the heavier side of I Prevail. I just wish this banger was longer.

Killwhitneydead - "She Didn't Look Like She Had a Disease" from Never Good Enough for You (2004)

3/5. This is only one of two tracks I like in this album, and what a surprise! Here they go full-on power metal/grind/deathcore, with some clean falsetto singing! Who knew that was even a thing?!

Hope for the Dying - "The Awakening" from Dissimulation (2011)

5/5. In this glorious 15-minute 3-track suite, each part has different focus on an aspect, with the title track of the suite emphasizing the piano and strings.

It Dies Today - "Marigold" from The Caitiff Choir (2004)

4.5/5. It's hard to believe that I didn't start listening to metalcore until I was already a young adult, whereas most metalcore fans started out in high school or even middle school. Amazing music and lyrics here!

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Paper Weight Pigs" from Mongrel (2007)

4/5. I'm glad this band can continue to strive after their temporary split. Midway through is a brief heavy breakdown worth repeating.

Psyopus - "Death, I..." from Ideas of Reference (2004)

4.5/5. Mathcore bands like Psyopus can be quite impressive when they can pull off riff technicality and experimentation within 3 to 5 minutes in song length. Everything explodes into fast chaos, including the vocals that I think fit the music well, despite others disagreeing. You can just dissect a Tool or Deftones song and add it to grind/metalcore to make something brilliant. The acoustic intro may seem easy to play but it has turned out to be harder than anything else, particularly when it's actually multiple guitars play at once. Quite a mathcore trip, I would say!

The Chariot - "They Faced Each Other" from The Fiancee (2007)

4/5. I'm happy to hear some great math/metalcore here. I can even hear some of the heavier side of Oh Sleeper!

Frontierer - "Bombgnasher" from Unloved (2018)

4.5/5. Right from the intro riffing, you're in for a f***ing wild ride! This mathcore sound also has some funk and thrash here and there.

War From a Harlots Mouth - "Uptown Girl... Uptown Girl... I Had a Crush on You, Oh Uptown Girl!" from Falling Upstairs (2006)

4/5. NO this is not a cover of that Billy Joel/Westlife song. Some of the most chaotic music and lyrics come from the first minute. The kind of chaos fans of the genre have heard since their high school years, unlike when I was listening to power metal in my teen years before getting into metalcore.

While She Sleeps - "Gates of Paradise" from So What? (2019)

4.5/5. And finally, we end this playlist with the closing track of this While She Sleeps album. This can make anyone sing/scream along to this song, at the risk of saying the F-word where people can hear.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

This one sounds interesting & I'm not across these guys so I might place them into my to-do list.

I don't mind "Iowa". It's my favourite record from a band who I generally find to be pretty enjoyable without ever really pushing out into essential territory.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Sabaton - "Primo Victoria" from Primo Victoria (2005)

4.5/5. "Through the gates of hell, as we make our way to heaven, through the nazi lines... PRIMO VICTORIA!" A powerful lyrics to begin with, as the song details the Normandy landings that occured on June 6 1944. The first of many historical war-themed songs the band would make.

Galneryus - "My Hope is Gone" from Into the Purgatory (2019)

5/5. My hope for power metal was once gone, but now it's restored! Those J-pop idols may get all the fame, but songs from metal bands like this have greater strength and it's not something you can often witness in your lifetime.

Powerwolf - "Fire & Forgive" from The Sacrament of Sin (2018)

5/5. A fantastic song to love for Halloween month! Look out for another Powerwolf song, or at least a cover, later on in this playlist...

Black Sabbath - "Supernaut" from Vol. 4 (1972)

4.5/5. RIP Ozzy Osbourne... The tributes continue with another powerful track, this one from their classic early 70s era. Even when the guitar sounds fuzzy, it's quite metal! Their classic heavy metal era with Ozzy would end after Sabotage, following it up with two hard rock albums before Ozzy was dismissed. The length is at the right amount, an extended version would be sleep-inducing, not that it actually would ever be. And I would never take drugs unlike those guys. Drugs are bad, mkay?

Ozzy Osbourne - "Mama, I'm Coming Home" from No More Tears (1991)

4/5. Sadly, Ozzy really has come home to the heavens above a couple weeks after performing this song and many others one last time in that Black Sabbath reunion show. Farewell once again, Prince of Darkness...

Budgie - "Whisky River" from Squawk (1972)

3.5/5. Budgie is another band that has split up long ago and lost their frontman. RIP Burke Shelley... The riffing is quite good, and while it's more metallic than the majority of 70s rock music, it has more in common with Led Zeppelin than any of the metal bands we know now. Still kinda enjoyable though.

Judas Priest - "Metal Gods" from British Steel (1980)

3/5. An OK song, but Rob Halford's vocal power can't be denied.

Sir Lord Baltimore - "Kingdom Come" from Kingdom Come (1970)

2.5/5. I'm now just realizing that this may not be the best choice for a Guardians playlist. It really sounds closer to the hard rock of Deep Purple. Black Sabbath would better establish the heavy metal genre that year. Still I respect this band's attempt at trying.

Twisted Sister - "I Wanna Rock" from Stay Hungry (1984)

3/5. Let's face it, anyone as young as me is more familiar with this classic when played in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City or that "Goofy Goober Rock" parody in the 2004 Spongebob Squarepants Movie. It's a solid banger, but I think it would rule if there was an extended version with the lengthy epic solo from that Spongebob parody.

Edguy - "Rock Me Amadeus" from Space Police: Defenders of the Crown (2014)

3.5/5. I have an outside-world friend who likes both heavy/power metal and pop classics like that Falco song. This is my gift for my friend. The chorus really does justice to that of the original. The one big issue here is the sound having some poor balance, but that's just me. ROCK ME AMADEUS!!!

Bruce Dickinson - "Afterglow of Ragnarok" from The Mandrake Project (2024)

4/5. Bruce Dickinson is one of metal's great vocal heroes, there's no denying that. He's probably tied with Roy Khan (Conception, ex-Kamelot) as one of the best vocalists of heavy/power metal in my opinion. And this particular track has a bit of progressiveness not too far off from Dream Theater.

Metallica - "Nothing Else Matters" from Metallica (1991)

4.5/5. I think I'm starting to appreciate ballads a lot more now, even the earlier popular ones, and even when I'm only in my late 20s. If I enjoy something that no one expects me to enjoy, I still like it, and nothing else matters.

Iron Fire - "Legend of the Magic Sword" from Blade of Triumph (2007)

5/5. Further sealing my growing appreciation for ballads, this one I really love! It sounds similar to that Metallica ballad but better and more underrated, maybe even similar to one of Rhapsody of Fire's ballads. With that and the lyrics covering the legend of King Arthur, it's probably one of the most wonderful ballads I've heard.

Primal Fear - "The Hunter" from The Hunter (2025)

5/5. Absolutely superb guitars and vocals, perfect for an action fantasy movie!

Alestorm - "Sea Shanty 2" from Voyage of the Dead Marauder (2024)

4.5/5. You all know how much I enjoy playing the MMORPG RuneScape, so Alestorm covering a song from the game was a dream come true for me. What's next, a cover of the more epic RuneScape tracks by DragonForce or Gloryhammer? I sure hope so!

Visions of Atlantis - "Lemuria" from Cast Away (2004)

4.5/5. Visions of Atlantis would later hop aboard the pirate metal ship, though I also love their earlier era with Nicole Bogner. RIP

The Dark Element - "Not Your Monster" from Songs the Night Sings (2019)

5/5. I'm glad we still have the godly singing of Anette Olzon after she left Nightwish following their album Imaginaerum.

Xandria - "Scars" from The Wonders Still Awaiting (2023)

5/5. After a massive change of lineup, Xandria can still unleashed a symphonic metal explosion of colors!

Lord of the Lost - "Moonstruck" from Opvs Noir Vol. 1 (2025)

4.5/5. Breaking boundaries further, Chris Harms sings and screams alongside the Stimmgewalt choir, sounding similar to Moonspell's more symphonic works.

Edenbridge - "Alight a New Tomorrow" from The Bonding (2013)

4.5/5. Edenbridge is quite underrated compared to bands like Nightwish and Within Temptation. The guitars and vocals are some of the best I've heard in the genre.

Warmen - "Somebody's Watching Me" from Accept the Fact (2005)

5/5. Ooh, another spooky song for Halloween month! RIP Alexi Laiho...

Norifumi Shira, Concerto Moon - "Tears of the Prayers" from Gate of Triumph (2001)

4.5/5. Truly a melancholic neo-classical metal instrumental of epic beauty. We need more of those really!

Volbeat - "Healing Subconsciously" from The Strength / The Sound / The Songs (2005)

4.5/5. This one ends the original album with one of the most climatic closing tracks in standard heavy metal.

Warkings - "Armata Strigoi" from Morgana (2022)

5/5. The perfect song for a battle against vampires! Warkings made this cover of a Powerwolf song as a result of going on tour with that band and DragonForce. Needless to say, when they covered a DragonForce song, that was a total failure. But again, their Powerwolf cover is a powerful banger.

Masterplan - "Music" from PumpKings (2017)

5/5. Helloween's music is given quite an enchantment by Masterplan in their cover album, as proven by this magical highlight!

Avantasia - "Lost in Space" from The Scarecrow (2008)

4.5/5. OK, this one is more of a pop/hard rock track, but one of the best ways out for this playlist. I especially recommend the extended version featuring Michael Kiske.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

3 years after their previous album Pain Remains, the masters of symphonic deathcore are back with their new album I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me! The new album really is similar to Pain Remains. Elitists can put their hand down though, because as I said above, there are some fantastic surprises that not even Pain Remains has, which we'll get to as the review goes on. The album doesn't have a multi-track suite like that of Pain Remains, let alone have it released alongside 3 singles. Less singles, more anticipation, am I right? And guess what, there are more songs that have no breakdowns! As much as I like breakdowns, it's nice to not hear them in nearly every song. Those songs without breakdowns end up sounding closer to straight-up extreme symphonic metal, so I don't mind this album sitting in The Guardians. When the breakdowns do come on though, they're some of the most crushing breakdowns in Lorna Shore's career. The brutal heaviness is balanced out with the epic melody that makes some songs, including the ones without breakdowns, a few of the band's most glorious songs yet, especially that 10-minute final track. Basically, they've taken the best of those eras and added a few new things including a highly different heavier track. In their perfect 2020s melodic symphonic blackened deathcore era, I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me might just be the best of the best. Extreme vocals, drumming machinery, blazing guitars, booming bass, and cinematic orchestration make a recipe of unbreakable epicness. And I'm grateful that something like this can be heard all over the world!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Prison of Flesh", "Oblivion", "Unbreakable", "Glenwood", "Death Can Take Me", "War Machine", "Forevermore"

For fans of: A Wake in Providence, Worm Shepherd, Hope for the Dying

This is currently #1 on the RYM all-time Thall chart and it is easily the best Thall album I have ever heard. OK, so I had never even heard of Thall until a few minutes ago, so it hasn't had a great deal of competition in my listening world so far. To me it sounds like a very precise version of the Gothenburg sound that is heavily invested in technicality and progressive songwriting. Djent, the nearest approximation to this I am familiar with, isn't a style of metal I listen to much, it is such a technically precise sub-genre that in my limited experience I find it too sterile and unengaging for my particular taste and this is very much in that vein. Whilst the performers are obviously exceedingly adept musicians, this just doesn't stir too much within me and whilst I can appreciate technical mastery on an intellectual level, my preference is much more for music that resonates with me on an emotional and gut level. I would rather have a sloppy-sounding record that makes me fired up, emotionally drained, full of joy or bereft with sadness than such technical sterility. However, that is just me and if you are the kind of person who revels in such displays of instrumental dexterity and appreciate the fruits of obvious craftsmen at work then I would imagine that Vildhjarta are an absolute dream.

All this said, I still listened to the entire 80 minutes and never once felt the need to skip tracks or look at the clock to see how long might be left so, on some level, this must have tweaked something within my brain because I am normally very impatient with this level of technicality in metal. The riffs, a bit staccato as they are for my taste, still felt quite brutal and aggressive, whilst the post-metally bits complemented this controlled aggression very nicely. To be honest, this is an album that has interested me sufficiently that I may return to it at some point in the future as I feel that there maybe something here for me after all and perhaps it did stir more in me than I originally thought.

I'm gonna say a 3.5/5 for now, but with the potential for improvement at some future time.

Checked this out this morning whilst clearing the garden and I quite enjoyed it. I haven't got vast experience with The Revolution, but this was better than a lot of what I have heard in the genre. No tracks stuck with me partucularly, unlike albums like Trivium's "In Flames" or any number of Converge albums, which do feature some very memorable tracks, but as a whole I found it a pretty positive listening experience whilst carrying out a few routine maintenance tasks. One of the biggest bugbears I have with Metalcore and its offshoots is the vocals which often just give me a headache, but this guy is pretty decent and I never found his vocal delivery bothersome. This all might sound like damning with faint praise, but for me and the Revolution that is actually pretty good!

3/5 (a solid C)

And now for one of the more popular bands in the Christian alt-metal/metalcore scene:

Demon Hunter - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2mlaMr1Nf1YzQpIind6IZi

Disc 1

1. Infected

2. The Gauntlet

3. Not Ready to Die

4. Beauty Through the Eyes of a Predator

5. Not I

6. One Thousand Apologies

7. Sixteen

8. Follow the Wolves

9. Collapsing

10. The World is a Thorn

11. Feel as Though You Could

12. Tomorrow Never Comes

13. Dead Flowers

Disc 2

1. Death

2. Beyond Me

3. Jesus Wept

4. The End

5. Cut to Fit

6. The Negative

7. Peace

8. Fear is Not My Guide

9. Loneliness (Resurrected)

10. Silence the World

11. Godless

12. Sorrow Light the Way

13. There Was a Light Here

I have had a couple of playthroughs of "Machines of Our Disgrace" now and, in all honesty, this kind of sample-strewn, electronica-heavy cyber metal is not my bag of charlie at all, yet I didn't actually mind this too much. The reason for this is that at its heart, when you strip all the industrial dystopian trappings away, this feels like a decent thrash album. Mainman Klayton seems to have a good ear for a hooky riff and his clean vocals are quite listenable. There is a bit too much going on with all the effects and samples and the production is right up in your face, all of which makes for a challenging listen for me, but digging beneath all the trappings there are some decent toons which saved it from the dreaded <<skip>> button and actually found me nodding along at several points. It isn't something I will be rushing out to buy and I most likely will never return to it, but it was an enjoyable enough experience while it lasted.

3/5 

And now for one of the more popular bands in the Christian alt-metal/metalcore scene:

Demon Hunter

1. The World is a Thorn

2. The Triptych

3. Storm the Gates of Hell

4. True Defiance

5. Summer of Darkness

6. Extremist

7. Demon Hunter

8. War

9. Outlive

10. There Was a Light Here

11. Peace

12. Exile

13. Songs of Death and Resurrection

Cream Abdul Babar is an experimental noisecore band, while Teen Cthulthu combines metalcore with symphonic black metal. They don't have anything related to heavy/power metal-based symphonic metal, and therefore this release doesn't belong in The Guardians. So I'd like to send the 2003 "Cream Abdul Babar / Teen Cthulhu" split to the Hall to be removed from The Guardians while maintaining its position in The North and The Revolution.

Ben, please add the 2012 Converge / Napalm Death split EP.

RIP At the Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg, who was one of the guests in the EP.

These two albums by Iron Fire have some classic heavy metal as part of their sound, side-by-side with their usual power metal. Many tracks here are more mid-tempo and have more classic anthemic-sounding insturmentation, as opposed to the fast melodic style of power metal. So I'd like to send Iron Fire's "Blade of Triumph" and "To the Grave" to the Hall to be added to heavy metal while staying in power metal.

3 Inches of Blood have always had their heavy/power metal sound, and this album is no exception. There's enough fast melodic guitarwork, anthemic hooks, and fantasy-ish lyrics in many tracks to justify adding the album to power metal. So I'd like to submit 3 Inches of Blood's "Here Waits Thy Doom" to the Hall to be added to power metal while maintaining its position in heavy metal.

The first 3 Conception albums I believe have more of a progressive power metal sound, as opposed to the strictly melodic progressive metal sound of subsequent albums. There's enough fast melodic guitarwork, anthemic hooks, and fantasy-ish lyrics in many tracks to justify adding the album to power metal. So I'd like to submit Conception's "The Last Sunset", "Parallel Minds", and "In Your Multitude" to the Hall to be added to The Guardians and power metal while staying in The Infinite and progressive metal.

Although The Dark Element has often bordered on power metal, their second album Songs the Night Sings has more of a full-on symphonic metal sound. The fast melodic guitarwork, anthemic hooks, and fantasy-ish lyrics aren't as much as in their debut. The two Dark Element albums basically relive the "symphonic power metal to symphonic metal" transition of vocalist Anette Olzon's albums with Nightwish. So I'd like to submit The Dark Element's "Songs the Night Sings" to the Hall to be removed from power metal while maintaining its position in symphonic metal.

Lord of the Lost started having a full-on symphonic metal direction in their latest album, but they still have their usual gothic/industrial metal. The dark melodic guitarwork and electronics of those two genres still aren't out of the picture. So I'd like to send Lord of the Lost's "Opvs Noir Vol. 1" to the Hall with two submissions to be:

1. Added to The Fallen and gothic metal.

2. Added to The Sphere and industrial metal.

All while staying in The Guardians and symphonic metal.

Ghostlights is one of Avantasia's more symphonic works, but it still has the project's usual power metal sound. There's enough fast melodic guitarwork, anthemic hooks, and fantasy-ish lyrics in many tracks to justify adding the album to power metal. So I'd like to submit Avantasia's "Ghostlights" to the Hall to be added to power metal while maintaining its position in symphonic metal.

As much as As Blood Runs Black's debut can be considered deathcore, there's also a lot of melodeath to remind some of At the Gates and The Black Dahlia Murder. This can be heard in the fast guitarwork, melodic soloing, and blast beats, all common in the subgenre. So I'd like to submit As Blood Runs Black's "Allegiance" to the Hall to be added to The Horde as melodic death metal while keeping its existing position in The Revolution and deathcore.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Architects - "Deep Fake" from The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit (2022)

4/5. The opening track of its original album and this playlist has the band's typical riff-wrath in a slower industrial march. The lyrics pay tribute to their previous album, "But the rest of us wish to exist". We have a killer blend of riffs and synths here. It's clear that they're following Bring Me the Horizon's footsteps during their Post Human era. Sam Carter even channels his own Oli Sykes in the heavy chorus. Carter might be able to sing that one song featuring Sykes by himself. Anyway, great track!

Lord of the Lost, Within Temptation - "Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness" from Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness (2025)

4.5/5. Lord of the Lost and Sharon den Adel are practically a match made in Heaven! Her vocals shining in the band's symphonic/industrial metal sound adds a new dimension of dark yet bright serenity.

Mechina - "Vanquisher" from Acheron (2015)

5/5. Another powerful highlight, this one working well separately from the concept as a pre-release single.

Fear Factory - "Martyr" from Soul of a New Machine (1992)

5/5. This highlight already shows the band's audacity of beginning with a verse of brutal guitar and growls and then switching to a clean bridge midway through. Well played!

Misery Loves Co. - "Sonic Attack" from Misery Loves Co. (1995)

3.5/5. This one starts off in a ballad-like pace, then the sharp riffing aggression continues.

Acumen Nation - "Queener" from Territory=Universe (1996)

4/5. A great track of electro-industrial metal. RIP James Duffy

Tyrant of Death - "Because Death is Not Ready Yet" from Re Connect (2012)

4.5/5. It's sad that some talented people have to go, but death is not ready yet for this underrated shining star of djenty industrial metal, Alex Rise.

Mass Hysteria - "Matiere Noire" from Matiere Noire (2015)

4/5. The beginning samples here sound like a NASA rocket launch, great metaphor for this song blasting off into French industrial metal.

Sonic Violence - "Ritual" from Jagd (1990)

4.5/5. This one is a loud puncher with simple yet intriguing lyrics, "For devotion, read mental abuse, to bind together, the love prostitutes".

Killing Joke - "Mathematics of Chaos" from Pandemonium (1994)

4/5. This one takes you into a metallic trance, as the wizardry of the instrumentation is in clear production, thanks to Youth.

Zynthetic - "Bled Dry" from Soundtrack for the Apocalypse (2010)

4.5/5. My brother enjoys playing "shoot 'em up" video games like Killing Floor and Left 4 Dead. He also likes the soundtrack, whether it's the OST or rock/metal bands contributing with their own songs. From the 20-second intro, you're already in for some eerie electro-industrial metal with background growls/screams. You can have fun slaying your enemies in the game while listening to this track. Quite inspiring despite having absolute zero lyrics. This also might remind some of Nine Inch Nails' more experimental noise material. In these kinds of games, it's all about skill and survival.

Rammstein - "Ich Will" from Mutter (2001)

4/5. The keyboard/guitar rhythm is so catchy though can get tiring after many listens. This song of desire for fame has made a fantastic live staple.

OOMPH! - "Breathtaker" from Sperm (1994)

3.5/5. Indeed what the title suggests, unlike most of that album.

Circle of Dust - "Deviate (Blue Stahli Remix)" from alt_Machines (2018)

5/5. Klayton and Blue Stahli have remixed so many of each other's tracks. They should really make a collaboration album sometime! One of the best remixes by Blue Stahli!

Illidiance - "Mind Hunters" from Damage Theory (2010)

4.5/5. Fear Factory has planted the seed for the cyber metal subgenre, with one of those bands including Illidiance. Sybreed and Breach the Void are definitely part of that wave too. And don't forget the more epic bands like Mechina and Neurotech. Anyway, I enjoy the clean/harsh vocal harmonies, definitely like a more futuristic Disarmonia Mundi and The Human Abstract.

Realize - "In Silence" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

4/5. Now we're getting into a more experimental lineup of tracks, starting with this one.

Raubtier - "Varldsherravalde" from Skriet Fran Vildmarken (2010)

3.5/5. Not as highly experimental as the next few tracks, but there are interesting parts to like such as the second verse one and a half minutes in.

Skymning - "Trolltekk / Aggrotekk" from Machina Genova (2004)

3/5. This one's more aggrotech-ish than I accounted for while still metal.

Bong-Ra - "Bloodclot" from Black Noise (2025)

3.5/5. Now we have a straight-on interlude, but it's better than the previous track.

NOWHERE2RUN, Loathe - "Ant in the Afterbirth" from Ant in the Afterbith (2024)

4/5. Members of Code Orange and Loathe have collaborated with each other for a cyber industrial track. It has a similar vibe to late-80s Ministry and Marilyn Manson, the latter whom Reba Meyers has been performing with lately.

Turmion Katilot - "Helvetin Torvet" from Universal Satan (2018)

4.5/5. In this excellent gem, you can hear some of the most diverse lyrics from the band, all fitting well with the music they're known for.

Atrocious Filth - "Moans" (5:21) from Moans (2016)

4/5. Lots of atmospheric power similar to the late 80s industrial metal developing classics by Godflesh and Ministry.

Eisbrecher - "Atem" from Die Holle Muss Warten (2012)

4.5/5. One more hauntingly beautiful Neue Deutsche Harte track.

Neurotech - "Memory Eternal" from Memory Eternal (2024)

5/5. This one is a progressive cyber metal monument. Pretty much everything Neurotech fans love is in in this 8-minute epic. A much better one than the title track of Solace!

Fear of Domination - "Ruin" from Metanoia (2018)

5/5. The absolute best highlight of its original album and this playlist! It's one of the most experimental tracks by the band, starting off doomy before exploding into a ballad when some Apocalyptica-like cellos and jazzy magic. So different yet a perfect way out!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Aftershock - "Prelude to Forever" from Through the Looking Glass (1999)

4/5. It's not often a metalcore album or playlist starts with a 7 and a half minute epic, but here we are. Ambient feedback rises before a couple minutes of heavy sludgy riffing and drumming. So basically, the first third of the song is an instrumental. As the vocals come in, the tempo in the riffing slowly increases from mid-tempo to finally reaching a punky thrash pace. This is early groove-ish metalcore at its finest, sounding quite heavy without ever having to resort low djent tunings. Fast riffing, catchy hooks, and deathly breakdowns, all in the moderately heavy drop C tuning. What more can you ask for in metalcore?

Overcast - "Root Bound Apollo" from Reborn to Kill Again (2008)

4.5/5. Thundering riffs and rhythms continue in this song that was meant to be for Overcast's then-shelved 3rd album and ended up in Shadows Fall's album Of One Blood. It still remains one of my favorite early-ish metalcore songs with a fast searing Metallica-like solo, alongside the thrashy riffing and vocals.

Nora - "For the Travelers" from Loser's Intuition (2001)

4/5. Then we have one of the heaviest anthems I've heard from this band. The riffs and tempo practically shapeshift into different forms, even slowing down for the dark effects of Godflesh. Indeed for the metalcore travelers!

Zao - "The Race of Standing Still" from (Self-Titled) (2001)

4.5/5. Songs like this remain eternal classics, just like many of the tracks from albums like Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest. The intro might remind some of Deftones before their usual metalcore rises. "RISING TOWARDS IT!!!" They can sing about death without adding deathly elements to their music. This band, Haste the Day, and Poison the Well would bring metalcore to a greater light in the early 2000s.

August Burns Red - "Composure" from Messengers (2007)

5/5. One of the band's best and most popular songs, with lyrics about keeping yourself together and carrying on. The song itself features an exciting headbanging breakdown with dual guitar harmony.

Poison the Well - "12/23/93" from The Opposite of December... A Season of Separation (1999)

5/5. After the beginning drum roll by Chris Hornbrook, there's a lot of fury from the guitar and vocals. Jeffrey Moreira has wonderful vocals as he screams well-written lyrics at the top of his lungs. Not a lot of metalcore vocalists have the same rage as Jeffrey, and that's probably good health-wise. That, along with active smoking and when he used his screaming offstage after finding out the band's equipment was stolen, would lead to him suffering a collapsed lung, but he recovered. Anyway, he also does some clean singing that helps the band standout among other early metalcore bands.

The Breathing Process - "Inferno" from In Waking: Divinity (2008)

4.5/5. An earlier track from the I Am Legion demo, and I love the clean chorus here. If they had more of that in the actual album, I would rate it higher.

Neaera - "Desecrators" from Let the Tempest Come (2006)

4/5. Another kick-A track from this melodeath/metalcore band bordering in deathcore.

Strife - "Lift" (3:35) from One Truth (1994)

3.5/5. This one lifts things up through hardcore fire.

Blood of the Martyrs - "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" (3:41) from Once More With Feeling (2011)

5/5. Absolutely loving this track. The drumming isn't totally perfect, but everything else it. More from this band please!

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Horse Hunter" (3:11) from Ire Works (2007)

4.5/5. An amazing track usual TDEP mathcore before going into their Zappa influences, more furious groove, spacey synths, and guest vocals by Mastodon's Brent Hinds. This was a last-minute addition to the playlist after finding out about Brent's passing. RIP

Car Bomb - "Blindsides" from Tiles Whispers Dreams (2025)

4.5/5. Savage drumming and guitar by Elliot Hoffman and Greg Kubacki, respectively. It might be worth listening to in a car ride, but at the risk of ending up in sonic speed.

Converge - "Worms Will Feed / Rats Will Feast" from Axe to Fall (2009)

5/5. This crushing two-part choice cut slows the action down to sludgy doom.

Frontierer - "Bunsen" from Orange Mathematics (2015)

4.5/5. More of the mathcore action comes in with tons of noisy distortion in a catchy fashion.

Cult Leader - "Craft of Mourning" from A Patient Man (2018)

4/5. Some of the most f***ing deathly mathcore I've heard! Some might get Cannibal Corpse/Spawn of Possession vibes here.

Drown in Sulphur - "The Sleeping Abomination" from Sulphur Cvlt (2021)

4.5/5. The lyrics strike with their dark universal concept in the best song of this Drown in Sulphur album.

Mental Cruelty - "Chapter II - The Rise of the Antichrist" from Purgatorium (2018)

5/5. One of the most technical tracks by this band. This relentless charger is like a more brutal Within the Ruins!

A Wake in Providence - "The Court ov the Trinity" from Eternity (2022)

5/5. This one very well summarizes both this deathcore trilogy and its original trilogy with lots of exciting moments. In all honesty, the original trilogy really should be performed in a live setting in its entirety. No separating the tracks!

The Red Chord - "Breed the Cancer" from Fused Together in Revolving Doors (2002)

4.5/5. Another perfect highlight! Though this one I consider outside of that deathcore trilogy.

Spitfire - "Quintenessence at Glance" from The Dead Next Door (1999)

4.5/5. One of the most quintessential songs in early math/metalcore, with Rosetta-esque sludgy tempo.

Trivium - "Bury Me With My Screams" from Bury Me With My Screams (2025)

5/5. Trivium is back with a vengeance, filled with awesome heavy groove. Hopefully the Struck Dead EP would lead up to the new album next year.

Annisokay - "Into the Gray" from Abyss Pt II (2025)

4.5/5. Another powerful new track, this one being more of a ballad, sounding like a more electronic Imminence. Nice vocals by both vocalists!

Avenged Sevenfold - "Second Heartbeat" from Waking the Fallen (2003)

4/5. F***ing underrated track compared to their more popular singles. The ending solo is one of the best by the band, especially with its drop C tuning.

Vision of Disorder - "Jada Bloom" from Imprint (1998)

4.5/5. Late 90s metalcore has spawned some great treasures. It really touches my heart as pretty much one of the first ever uplifting metalcore ballads. I've also heard that one of their songs (not this one) features Phil Anselmo. The beat is still quite hammering, along with the addictive heavy starting riff. Around that time, this band and Fear Factory were the ones popularizing this clean/scream blend. So f***ing beautiful, especially that second half!

Hope for the Dying - "Legacy" from Legacy (2016)

5/5. My ultimate favorite track of its original album and this playlist is the 9-minute title epic that really packs some punches. A smooth two-minute bridge comes in midway through before some blazing soloing out of nowhere. Then it ends with soft strings.

Wolves at the Gate - "The Father's Bargain" from VxV (2014)

4.5/5. "What kind of love is this, friends? What kind of love is that is so big, so without bounds, that He would come, He would want, He would want to do so much to rescue people who wanted nothing to do with Him? Who fought Him even when He came to cleave us from hell? What kind of love is it that sees us in our filth, comes to rescue us, sees us resist that rescue, but continues to rescue us anyway? What foolishness is this? That He would come offer us rescue and we would say, 'No!' Why? What are we gaining by our resistance? Oh, how glorious He is, that He saw you like that and didn’t give up!" A well-spoken quote from this Christian metalcore track to end this playlist, suitable for anyone whether or not raised as a Christian.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Blind Guardian - "Imaginations From the Other Side" from Imaginations From the Other Side (1995)

5/5. The opening title track of this absolute gem of a Blind Guardian album is one of the best album openers and power metal songs I've heard in my life. It picks up where things left off from the end of their previous album Somewhere Far Beyond, this time with more atmospheric structure. The vocal density would be further displayed in the next album Nightfall in Middle-Earth, as well as those harmonic guitar leads. EPIC!!!!

Galneryus - "Finally, It Comes!" from The Stars Will Light the Way (2024)

5/5. I think I just found my new favorite Japanese metal band in Galneryus. The music and lyrics are so strong and never disappoint. This song in particular takes many cues from their earlier songs has the same "stars and space" vibe as DragonForce. They've also taken on 7-string B-flat tuning similar to recent Trivium.

Trivium - "Until the World Goes Cold" from Silence in the Snow (2015)

3/5. Speaking of Trivium's new 7-string B-flat-tuned era, well... This one is kind of a plodding track, but still an acceptable hit in a Guardians playlist.

Black Sabbath - "Hole in the Sky" from Sabotage (1975)

3.5/5. Time for one of a couple tributes here to the late mighty Ozzy Osbourne, sadly already taken to Heaven. RIP

Battle Beast - "Here We Are" from Here We Are (2025)

4/5. Earlier this year, I wasn't thinking I would actually return to The Guardians, but HERE WE ARE!!! And I'll never regret it any time soon! All the band members have power and talent shining within them.

Metal Church - "Metal Church" from Metal Church (1984)

3.5/5. Should there be a metal mosque for Muslims like me? Anyway, this is a good mind-blowing classic, but I think it's more suited for people from my dad's generation.

Halford - "Resurrection" from Resurrection (2000)

4/5. Rob Halford is quite f***ing impressive in his vocal range, able to keep his highs going from the intro onwards.

Judas Priest - "The Serpent and the King" from Invincible Shield (2024)

4.5/5. And there's more of Halford's vocal power in his main band Judas Priest. He still sounds as mighty as he was in the 70s and 80s, and the other band members have strong fire within their respective instruments. So monstrous with nothing wasted!

Ozzy Osbourne - "Believer" from Diary of a Madmen (1981)

4/5. Another great tribute to the Prince of Darkness who brought metal to the light of day. RIP him and Randy Rhoads. Fantastic earth-shattering soloing from the latter at the 3-minute mark! These lyrics should help motivate you to believe in yourself.

Crimson Glory - "Masque of the Red Death" from Transcendence (1988)

4.5/5. Now this song continues to kick a**! RIP Midnight, another fallen legend of a vocalist. I should really listen to this band and album more, as I had a few years before this comment. His high vocals covering the last minute of the track shows that he and vocalists from other bands like Queensryche need more attention, not pop stars like Ed Sheeran whose vocal range is more limited yet still get all the fame. Classic music like this should never be forgotten!

Accept - "Shadow Soldiers" from Stalingrad (2012)

4/5. Wolf Hoffmann is a master of the guitar in German classic metal. His work should be appreciated as much as other guitar heroes in the rest of Europe, UK, and America.

Mercyful Fate - "Melissa" from Melissa (1983)

4.5/5. Beautiful melancholy and strong lyrical poetry! As I'm already 26, my music mind has expanded more in different areas, mostly metal of course. I don't mind a small bit from this band that would plant the seed for satanism in metal that would form the lyrical basis of black metal. I love the guitar leads in the intro that the soloing 4 minutes later. Why take something like that for granted!? The drumming is also good, and while I enjoy King Diamond's vocals, I wish it would have the same power Rob Halford has.

Manowar - "Battle Hymn" from Battle Hymns (1982)

4/5. I probably would've love this band a lot more when I was 16 and enjoy the sh*t out of fantasy-filled heavy/power metal, but back then I wasn't into music from the 80s or earlier. Just like the previous track, the best guitar soloing happens in over the 4-minute mark. I also love the epic vocals here!

Sabaton - "The Duelist" from The Duelist (2025)

4.5/5. Songs like this should also be appreciated for the music and lyrical concept. Simply cool!

Beyond the Black - "Break the Silence" from Break the Silence (2025)

5/5. I'm really breaking my symphonic metal silence with the first of not one but 3 gems from bands of that genre that I wish I discovered 10 years prior! This would be a grand recommendation for symphonic metal fans!

Xandria - "Fight Me" from India (2005)

5/5. I only just started hearing about Xandria a couple years ago when temporarily filling in for Xephyr in assembling the Guardians playlists. This is the first song from this band that I actually consider perfect! Lisa Middelhauve has some of the best female singing around.

Amberian Dawn - "River of Tuoni" from River of Tuoni (2008)

5/5. I've actually encountered this track 10 years before this comment but for some reason, that band didn't hop aboard my symphonic/power metal train at the time. Now I realize how epic this song is, as the lyrics take on the death of Lemminkäinen from the Kalevala. The intro riffing sounds cool, though the real beauty comes the voice of an angel, Heidi Parviainen, singing smoothly and serenely, just like Tarja Turunen. I should keep up this search for underrated symphonic/power metal bands. H*ll, I really want to move to Finland and the rest of Scandinavia for some awesome metal there. This band should really be as popular as Nightwish, Epica, and Within Temptation.

Within Temptation - "Iron" from The Unforgiving (2011)

4.5/5. And speaking of Within Temptation, this track is so heavy and epic, right from the intro riffing onwards. The song itself reminds me of DragonForce's "Cry Thunder" and it's better at that than those poor rip-offs like Warkings' cover of that song and Sabaton's "Union".

Kiuas - "Warrior Soul" from The Spirit of Ukko (2005)

5/5. A f***ing hammering power metal anthem. Enough said!

Golden Resurrection - "Identity in Christ" from Man with a Mission (2011)

4.5/5. That's right, Christian neoclassical power metal exists! Christian Liljegren has amazing widely ranged vocals as he sings about the eternal truth and finding his identity in his god. These kinds of lyrics help the band stand out amongst the power metal scene of bands like Rhapsody of Fire, Blind Guardian, Sabaton, and Powerwolf.

Yngwie Malmsteen - "World on Fire" from World on Fire (2016)

4.5/5. In a time when metal is about adding more guitar strings than just 6 per guitar, Yngwie Malmsteen still has his 6-string magic. Lots of incredible different changes in the guitar tone here. He can really go fast and furious!

Visions of Atlantis - "Seven Seas" from Trinity (2007)

5/5. And now we slow down for one of the best songs by Visions of Atlantis! Well, as much as I love the vocals by Melissa Ferlaak, their first female vocalist Nicole Bogner really helped the band out in their earlier years. RIP...

Dark Moor - "Dies Irae (Amadeus)" from The Gates of Oblivion (2002)

5/5. Then at last, we reach the epic climax of this playlist, paying tribute to Mozart's works. The most incredible guitar technicality by Enrik Garcia is one of the many things that make this Dark Moor's most fascinating epic. As incredible as this is, I feel like there could've been slight trimming to tone down some of the repetition. Still I wouldn't change a thing, and it's all worth it in the end. One tiny miniscule flaw won't weigh anything down.

Stratovarius - "Goodbye" from Fright Night (1989)

4.5/5. Now how about a beautiful yet melancholic acoustic outro to end it all? Goodbye until next time in the Guardians playlist....

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Similarly with Killwhitneydead's 2002 debut release, I find lots of prominent doses of the brutal relentless intensity of deathgrind in their 2004 album. That can be heard in the caustic guitar (even going far into melodeath leads but I hesitate in bringing that genre into this), deathly monstrous riffing, occasional pummeling blast-beats, and the grindcore aspect of really short songs. So I'd like to submit Killwhitneydead's "Never Good Enough for You" to the Hall to be added to The Horde as grindcore while keeping its existing position in The Revolution and deathcore.

Hope for the Dying's 2013 album Aletheia has the progressive metalcore sound that would continue on in Legacy, but there's more of the symphonic/neo-classical approach they've had since Dissimulation. Many of the songs in Aletheia have symphonic grandeur and classic heavy metal-based instrumentation. With that I'd like to send Hope for the Dying's "Aletheia" to the Hall to be added to The Guardians as symphonic metal, while maintaining its position in The Infinite and The Revolution.

Good feedback, Sonny! And sorry about those first two tracks affecting your plan to switch clans.

In truth, I never would have anyway, Andi. There are just too many of my all-time favourites in The Pit for me to abandon it, even if really great new releases are exceedingly few and far between.

Vildhjarta is known as the inventors of thall, and we've established that if thall was added to this site (not happening), it would be more of an Infinite subgenre, specifically djent. I wouldn't consider Vildhjarta a metalcore band, and even then, only a couple songs in this album have the crushing riffs and unclean vocals of metalcore. With that, I'd like to submit Vildhjarta's "+ Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar +" to the Hall to be removed from The Revolution while maintaining its position in The Infinite and djent.

These two Humanity's Last Breath albums are considered deathcore, but I don't think that's enough to describe them. They're both considered thall which is a djent subgenre, and it's quite clear from the complex rhythms and downtuned riffs of djent brutalized. So I'd like to submit Humanity's Last Breath's "Abyssal" and "Valde" to the Hall to be added to The Infinite as djent while staying in The Revolution and deathcore.

The 2003 debut by Masterplan has some classic heavy metal as part of their sound, side-by-side with their usual power metal. Many tracks here are more mid-tempo and have more classic anthemic-sounding insturmentation, as opposed to the fast melodic style of power metal. So I'd like to send Masterplan's 2003 self-titled debut to the Hall to be added to heavy metal while staying in power metal.

I'm honestly a little surprised by the results of me recently revisiting this Disturbed album, at a time of two problematic things: 1. Some political controversy towards vocalist David Draiman, and 2. My alt-metal interest is fading as proven by my thoughts on the August 2025 Gateway playlist. It's actually good enough to earn an extra half-star in my previously 3-star rating. Here are my thoughts:

The album is where the band has found the sound they were looking for, by combining the guttural Hell of The Sickness with the cleaner Heaven of Believe. Though while Draiman does his part in combining the aspects of the first two albums, his mix of theatrics and metallics cause him to alternate between two different sides. Having that Gollum-like aspect is a little, well, disturbing, but at least we still the best of both sides, his operatic baritone and his metal intensity. Oh, and his trademark "AH-AH-AH-OWW!!!" In many songs, the verses show him singing in a rap-ish pace, balanced out with the rock-out chorus. The tracks that don't seem to catch on for me are the ones that are either too experimental or repetitive, like the band's attempt at making a prog-ish 6-minute epic or adding too much electronic experimentation. With that said, their Genesis cover rules! Ten Thousand Fists is an album of beastly heaviness as expected in modern rock/metal. However, the more mainstream parts of the album again show the perils of The Gateway and my taste in the clan. But if my interest in alt-/nu metal really does fade away, albums like this help make sure that nothing's in vain....

3.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Ten Thousand Fists", "Just Stop", "Stricken", "Sons of Plunder", "Forgiven", "Land of Confusion", "Sacred Lie"

For fans of: Breaking Benjamin, Staind, Device

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Sybreed - "Emma-0" from Antares (2007)

5/5. The starting track of this album and playlist has beats and synths rising from the distorted background before unleashing sinister guitar riffing. Vocalist Benjamin Nominét screams his heart out against life struggles mutilating and hurting him.

KONG - "Hok" from Mute Poet Vocalizer (1990)

4.5/5. Another great start, with everything set up by the groovy audible bass by Mark Drillich.

Godflesh - "Slavestate" from Slavestate (1991)

5/5. One of the best songs by these British pioneers of industrial metal, with some of the best bass. Industrial metal is best suited underground and not as highly electronic-focused as bands like Skinny Puppy.

Pitchshifter - "Catharsis" from Industrial (1991)

4.5/5. Another standout, in which black metal-ish guitar tremolos plays over doomy sludge, maintaining the industrial mix.

KMFDM - "Inane" from Xtort (1996)

4/5. This one is INSANE!!! Sascha Konietzko performs his usual vocal distortion alongside rising chords, singing about the band themselves and their greatness. The country-ish guitars are also quite fun.

Genitorturers - "Lessor Gods" from 120 Days of Genitorture (1993)

4.5/5. Another heavy track filled with heavy desire to please the album's listeners, especially from the 30-second opening intro that sounds like Slayer.

Lard - "Bozo Skeleton" from The Last Temptation of Reid (1990)

4/5. Smooth bass once again starts up this mid-paced track with catchy vocals flowing together with heavy instrumentation. This legendary hardcore/industrial combo continues to impress me!

Mechina - "Machine God" from Tyrannical Resurrection (2007)

3.5/5. Attacking in different tempos is this long track, though this version is missing the piano outro.

Skrew - "Jesus Skrew Superstar" from Dusted (1994)

4/5. This one cranks up the thrash, the way Fear Factory and Strapping Young lad would a year after this album's release.

Lord of the Lost, Tina Guo - "Ghosts" from Ghosts (2025)

4.5/5. Amazing piece of beauty and intensity! I love the cello by Tina Guo here.

The Interbeing - "Ruin" from Icon of the Hopeless (2022)

4/5. This one crashes through with more of the pulverizing verses and emotional choruses.

Oddko - "Kitty Girl" from Kitty Girl (2022)

4.5/5. Amazing cyber metal track with touches of Rammstein. But now I can't stop hearing those d*mn meows.

A Dark Halo - "It Never Sleeps" from Omnibus One (2023)

4/5. Another one of my favorites from that A Dark Halo album, sounding haunting while having the lovely clean singing of Mel Rose.

Fear of Domination - "Legion" from Distorted Delusions (2014)

4.5/5. And another favorite track here! Guitar/keyboard melodies reach an intense height, and the ending climax is EPIC.

Cypecore - "Chosen Chaos" from Version 4.5: The Dark Chapter (2024)

4/5. Blasting off is this song with one of the coolest titles ever chosen. It has only a short amount of time for you to actually prepare for the chaos. The blasts and guitarwork strike through with their might. The vocals help make the song sound like industrial melodeath-ish metalcore gone Disturbed.

Fange - "Mortes Promesses" from Purulences (2025)

3.5/5. A good hard-hitter despite some flaws. Enough said!

Rammstein - "Zeig Dich" from Rammstein (2019)

3/5. I prefer Neue Deutsche Härte as a side-dish rather than a main course. Still that second chorus might have potential for a space battle in a German sci-fi film.

Megaherz - "Abendstern" from Götterdämmerung (2012)

2.5/5. Too much of a German romantic love ballad. Moving on...

Source of Tide - "Serenade of Silence" from Blueprints (2002)

3/5. Not a whole lot better, but at least we're back in the English zone.

Ktulu - "In a Gada Da Vida - Iron Butterfly" from 2078" (2000)

3.5/5. A few bonus points for making this Iron Butterfly cover more kick-A.

Dagoba - "The Fall of Men" from What Hell is About (2006)

4/5. Much heavier than the last 5 tracks, so thumbs up for that!

Eisbrecher - "Segne Deinen Schmerz" from Eiszeit (2010)

3.5/5. And we're back into a little more of the NDH. This one's almost like a blend of Rammstein's "Du Hast" and Finger Eleven's "Living in a Dream".

Killing Joke - "Blood on Your Hands" from Killing Joke (2003)

4/5. A groovy highlight from Killing Joke's 2003 self-titled album.

Static-X - "The Trance is the Motion" from Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

4.5/5. This monolithic standout has better vocals, including those growls by Wayne Static. RIP

Neurotech - "To Theta State" from Stigma (2015)

5/5. And now for this 11-minute epic, an ambient electronic instrumental that marks a perfect mini-journey of darkness and hope. I can't believe how perfect a non-metal track like that can be, and how well it fits in The Sphere!

Omega Lithium - "Pjesma" from Kinetik (2011)

5/5. The final track of this album and playlist marks the band's swan song. It's a shining straight anthem, partly sung in the band's native language. I almost feel like crying in both sadness and joy.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Eighteen Visions - "Vanity" from Vanity (2002)

4.5/5. The great title opener of this Eighteen Visionsalbum pretty much lets you know all that's going on in the playlist and its original album. The metallic riffing drives through as James Hart performs not just screaming but also singing. Despite opening a new dimension in the band's sound, the latter vocal style is not as strong as the former. Neither are the lyrics. That's OK because the heavier sections like the great breakdown makes that track the powerful standout it is.

Blessthefall - "Mallxcore" from Mallxcore (2025)

5/5. Blessthefall will be coming back with their first album in 7 years. I can hear the core in this song, but it's not really mall-worthy, and that's what I love.

Trivium - "Dusk Dismantled" from In Waves (2011)

5/5. This highlight continues the heavy path, this time even more furious, darker, and containing only screaming.

Lorna Shore - "Unbreakable" from Unbreakable (2025)

5/5. I think I just found my new ultimate favorite Lorna Shore track, surpassing the likes of "Cursed to Die" and "And I Return to Nothingness". Lots of Parkway Drive-like melody, and the lyrics are so motivational, "And after it all, our hearts are invincible, like diamonds we glow, WE ARE UNBREAKABLE!!!!"

Wolves at the Gate - "Lights & Fire" from Eulogies (2022)

4.5/5. And the motivation continues! That's something to expect from Christian bands, isn't it?

All That Remains - "Six" from The Fall of Ideals (2006)

5/5. Another death metal-influenced song starting off with lightning fast melodeath riffs and blast beats. Then we have more of the breakdowns and clean/shouting vocals. Then in the middle, the song slows down with melodic riffs, a simple drum beat, and a short solo, before the song repeats the intro one more time.

Cave In - "Crossbearer" from Beyond Hypothermia (1998)

4.5/5. My favorite song of this Cave In demo compilation album, already giving you what to expect from this band. There's the usual metalcore structure within the riffing, screams, and occasional cleans. If there's anything to plant the seed for metal/mathcore bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, 2000s Converge, Botch, and Skycamefalling, this is that. Everything about this song is memorable, from the intro to the clean bridge and the rifftastic chaos in between, with those vocals hooks embedded in your head. Truly an epitome of classic metalcore!

Calva Louise - "Tunnel Vision" from Edge of the Abyss (2025)

4/5. This one starts with a sweet pop intro, then the rest is an alt-metalcore blast often turning into pop and dubstep. Awesome start for that album!

Dal Av, Jackson Rose - "Colors Collapsed" from Petrichor (2025)

4.5/5. A potential insta-classic banger. What else can I say?

A Day to Remember - "Bullfight" from Bad Vibrations (2016)

5/5. Another f***ing standout of a song! The breakdown shall never be ignored.

As I Lay Dying - "Confined" from Shadows are Security (2005)

4.5/5. If we don't think too much about the sh*t Tim Lambesis has gone through, classics like this can still be enjoyed. There are some things to enjoy, like the clean chorus.

Neaera - "...To Oblivion" from The Rising Tide of Oblivion (2005)

5/5. Although this track works better with the "From Grief" intro, the song itself is an awesome melodeath/metalcore monster. And let me tell you, midway through is one of my favorite riffs of the genre.

Born of Osiris - "Activated" from Through Shadows (2025)

4.5/5. Everything experienced so far is put together in a trancey metalcore fiesta. I love the guest vocals by Underoath's Spencer Chamberlain and the saxophone solo that can surpass "Careless Whisper".

Underoath - "Thorn" from Voyeurist (2022)

4/5. This one is a melodic return to the post-hardcore basics of bands like Circa Survive and I See Stars in flowing emotion. It's a special delicate song to make a nice break from the heavier metalcore anthems.

Parkway Drive - "Karma" from Deep Blue (2010)

4.5/5. Another highlight with excellent riffing and a superb solo that would suffocate you with its technical aura before a monumentally memorable moshing breakdown.

Architects - "Blackhole" from The Sky, the Earth & All Between (2025)

4/5. Another f***ing h*ll of a headbanging single with some of the greatest vocal intensity from Sam Carter. Adding to the perfection is the drumming by Dan Searle. That shall get the live crowd going!

Deadguy - "The Long Search for Perfect Timing" from Near-Death Travel Services (2025)

4.5/5. An aptly titled track ending the earlier fans' 30-year search for a song to surpass the debut. I'm also guessing the band was listening to 7 Angels 7 Plagues in the first few years of inactivity.

Coalesce - "A Disgust for Details" from Functioning on Impatience (1998)

5/5. The most furious way to finish its original album. To be honest, I don't think there's a lot fiercer than that track from much of this band's material or mathcore. That's the heaviness to remind me of us where they started in their debut!

Stevie T - "Metalcore Song" from Metalcore Song (2013)

4.5/5. Lately I've been watching some videos by Steve Terreberry, both his music and his more comedic videos. His "Metalcore Song" is more of a joke track, but it's quite a banger that exemplifies metalcore music and lyrics in a nutshell. I enjoy his growls and singing. And he's right, every song needs a techno breakdown and a solo.

Demon Hunter - "Ribcage" from The Triptych (2005)

4/5. This is the last track in its original album to have any heaviness. It starts with a loud rising blast of guitar riffs. The clean chorus is really impressive, but the growls sound a little off.

August Burns Red - "Bloodletter" from Guardians (2020)

4.5/5. This massive track is filled with aggression and over the top breakdowns. It follows the lyrical theme of greedy needs taking over society. The measures are a bit repetitive, but that's just a small flesh-wound of a flaw.

Motionless in White - "Undead Ahead 2: The Tale of the Midnight Ride" from Disguise (2019)

4/5. My favorite song in this MIW album. As if this song being a sequel to an earlier one wasn't the tip-off, it stands out with a lot of the band's earlier metalcore heaviness and a catchy chorus. The instrumentation is so strong, as is Chris' screaming. Just be careful when driving while listening to this song, especially in the heavy breakdown.

Currents - "It Only Gets Darker" from It Only Gets Darker (2025)

4.5/5. If you think the music in this playlist so far is fun and upbeat, well... IT ONLY GETS DARKER. And the screams get better.

Frontierer - "Corrosive Wash" from Oxidized (2021)

4/5. It also gets more f***ing chaotic, and it's quite addictive.

Converge - "Vengeance" from No Heroes (2006)

3.5/5. And how about a couple really short tracks to throw into the mix! The familiarity is too much to hide here.

Car Bomb - "Rid" from Centralia (2007)

4/5. A brief blast through extreme math-grind.

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravanganza - "Passenger 57" from Danza 3: The Series of Unfortunate Events (2010)

4.5/5. The members all have kick-A talent, especially proven midway through. Seriously, they should really come back.

Psyopus - "Scissor Fuck Paper Doll" from Our Puzzling Encounters Considered (2007)

4/5. F***ing decimating mathcore that is not for the faint-hearted or the inexperienced.

The Chariot - "Back to Back" from The Fiancee (2007)

4.5/5. Quite some heavy energy for a Christian band, the same kind of energy from Blood of the Martyrs. Whatever beliefs you have, you're here to have fun with some music from this band by former Norma Jean vocalist Josh Scogin.

Cult Leader - "Gutter Gods" from Lightless Walk (2015)

4/5. A kick-A track from an 11-track album of chaos and darkness.

The Red Chord - "Face Area Solution" from Fed Through the Teeth Machine (2009)

4.5/5. One last short deathly blast before the grand finale, with some guest growls by The Acacia Strain's Vincent Bennett.

Mental Cruelty - "A Tale of Salt and Light" from Zwielicht (2023)

5/5. This epic finale has the symphonic death metal/core of Ex Deo and early Betraying the Martyrs to make one of the most glorious deathcore tracks ever! However, there's still one track left that would make a grand continuation and conclusion...

Worm Shepherd - "And at the End of Fear, Silentium" from Hunger (2024)

5/5. One of the best track titles I've seen in all of metal. The track itself is another one of the most glorious tracks I've heard in symphonic blackened deathcore. Chaos and triumph reign all over. The soloing is some of the best I've heard from last year, probably greater than even DragonForce's solos! Evilness and grief continues to last until the end, with a final epic orchestral melodeath march rising into some blackened blasts and screams once more, and finally resting in mournful piano. Man, what an ending!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

As we all know, Northern Europe has pretty much the biggest amount of metal bands in any subregion. Denmark doesn't have as many popular metal bands as in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, but I enjoy some notable bands from the country including Mercenary and Mnemic. What if you can combine the sounds of those two bands to make tech-ish melodeath/cyber metal? Enter the Interbeing, whose killer talent is highly displayed in their perfect debut Edge of the Obscure! The cyber melody and heavy rhythms show a lot of the band's Mnemic/Fear Factory influences. There's also djenty groove worth headbanging to if you're a fan of Periphery and Meshuggah. With that, Edge of the Obscure shows that the band can wear their influences like a battle jacket. Something that sounds amongst the best really should've made it big!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Pulse Within the Paradox", "Face Deletion", "Fields of Grey", "Swallowing White Light", "Celestial Flames", "Rhesus Artificial"

For fans of: Fear Factory, Mnemic, Soilwork

Here's my review summary:

August Burns Red has one of the most solid discographies to come from a metalcore band. They've made great albums in their career, including the perfect Constellations. I've always wondered if there would ever be another August Burns Red that as much of a masterpiece as Constellations. Well I shall wonder no more with their new offering Death Below! The album is a much further throwback with their fast pacing in songs that I can consider total bangers. Plus a few songs each have a guest appearance from a vocalist or guitarist of another well-known metalcore band, and that's often a grand treat. Those guests includes Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarist Jason Richardson (known for his work with All That Remains, All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, and Chelsea Grin), Erra's JT Cavey, and Underoath vocalist Spencer Chamberlain. An alternate version of "The Cleansing" also includes the one and only Will Ramos of Lorna Shore. Oh yeah, "The Cleansing" and "Reckoning" are two of the greatest highlights here, two nearly 8-minute epics that are the band's longest, not including the closing epic of their 2005 debut, all full of stylistic transcendence. All in all, Death Below can show you how to overcome the dark struggles of this decade and look into the light, through heaviness and despair. August Burns Red's 10th album can very well be their greatest, most ambitious work yet!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "The Cleansing", "Ancestry", "Backfire", "Revival", "Dark Divide", "Reckoning"

For fans of: All That Remains, Erra, Killswitch Engage

When Herbie Langhans stepped in as Firewind's new vocalist starting with their 2020 self-titled album, the band brought back the earlier classic heavy metal part of their sound from the Stephen Fredrick era, side-by-side with their usual power metal. Many tracks in this album are more mid-tempo and have more classic anthemic-sounding insturmentation, as opposed to the fast melodic style of power metal. So I'd like to send Firewind's 2020 self-titled album to the Hall to be added to heavy metal while staying in power metal.

Good list, Rex! I enjoy the opening tracks for those Neurosis and Killing Joke albums as well.

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Sphere band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Melissa Rosenberg (Mel Rose) – clean vocals

Evan K – lead guitar

Dino Cazares – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Stian Hinderson (Nagash/Lex Icon) − bass guitar, harsh vocals, additional clean vocals

Dirk Verbeuren – drums

Janne Tolsa – keyboards, synthesizers, orchestration, backing vocals

Band name: Powershifters

Genres: Symphonic/blackened/cyber metal in a similar vein to The Kovenant, Nexaeon-era Illidiance, and some of Mechina's songs that blend clean and harsh vocals

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Revolution band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Will Ramos - male harsh vocals

Neal Tiemann - lead guitar

Chris Wiseman - rhythm guitar, male clean vocals

Mikael Reinikka - bass guitar

Art Cruz - drums

Alex Reade - keyboards, keytar, orchestration, female clean/harsh vocals

Band name: Emotional Suffering

Genre: Symphonic/blackened/melodic deathcore throwing back to its earlier wave of bands like The Breathing Process, Winds of Plague, and early Make Them Suffer

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Infinite band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Maynard James Keenan – lead vocals

Ron Jarzombek – guitar

Gary Wehrkamp – guitar

John Myung – bass

Jerry Gaskill – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Michael Pinnella − keyboards, backing vocals

Band name: Interpacific

Genres: Progressive/alternative metal/rock

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Horde band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Björn "Speed" Strid – lead vocals

Jani Liimatainen – guitars, additional clean vocals

Michael Amott − guitars, backing vocals

Ted Lundström − bass

Shannon Lucas – drums

Janne Wirman – keyboards, backing vocals

Band name: Imperial Storm

Genres: Melodic death/power metal in a similar vein to Children of Bodom, Mercenary, and Skyfire

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Gateway band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Sonny Sandoval − lead vocals

Dan Donegan – lead guitar, backing vocals

Mike Shinoda – rhythm guitar, rap vocals

Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu – bass guitar

Shawn "Clown" Crahan – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Frank Delgado – keyboards, turntables, samples

Band name: Meteocrity

Genres: Alternative/nu metal with lyrics battling against the genre's criticism

The prog/psych elements in Cave In's new album spread into many songs to make a more progressive alt-metal offering. This is also noted in the lengthy structures and complexity within the music. So I'd like to submit Cave In's "Heavy Pendulum" to be added to The Infinite while staying in The Gateway.

Thanks, Daniel.

Inspired by one of my current favorite YouTube channels Thralls of Metal, I decided to also get in the "band's greatest hits" trend of compiling tracks from different albums by a band as your own "greatest hits" kind of album. If you have any of your own "greatest hits" albums for your favorite bands, feel free to post them here.

Here are my rules for how I would do my own "greatest hits" albums, but you may have your own rules:

1. Two songs per each studio album; one popular track and one underrated track.

2. One song per other album (remix album, EP, etc.).

3. If a track is at least 10 minutes long or close to that, it counts as two songs.

4. Might add in one extra song for one of the albums.

5. If the length of the tracklisting exceeds 80 minutes (the CD length limit), it's split into two discs, maybe 3 discs if even longer.

6. Songs are in chronological order.

Let's start with this Norwegian symphonic gothic/melodeath band:

Trail of Tears - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5PumWxcuPRl0sgAGqglkTt (Disclosure in Red not on Spotify, songs from that album replaced with "Countdown to Ruin")

1. When Silence Cries

2. Illusion?

3. Driven Through the Ruins

4. Disappointment's True Face

5. Ecstatic

6. A Fate Sealed in Red

7. Joyless Trance of Winter

8. Dry Well of Life

9. Deceptive Mirrors

10. Shades of Yesterday

11. Bloodstained Endurance

12. A Storm at Will

13. Farewell to Sanity

14. Waves of Existence

15. Path of Destruction

16. No Colours Left

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

2 Times Terror - "D.E.A.D." from Equals One Sudden Death (2010)

4.5/5. Already making use of Turmion Katilot's roots is the opening track of its original album and this playlist. 2 Times Terror knows how to make electronic rhythms like The Berzerker but without any speed-grind. What's different compared to Turmion Katilot is the use of female vocals. All in all, we have an excellent piece of electro-metal with both male and female vocals. A well-done example of opposites attract!

Fear of Domination - "Pandemonium" from Create.Control.Exterminate (2011)

5/5. More of Saku Solin and Niina Telen's vocals come together in perhaps my favorite track of its original album. The song has some Norther vibes in both the music and vocals. Solin adds more depth and accent to his growls, and the end result is another unique blend of extreme and melodic.

Gothminister - "Darkside" from Happiness in Darkness (2008)

5/5. This highlight ascends with gloomy choir atmosphere before powerful drumming, alongside more of the hard-hitting guitars and orchestra.

Lord of the Lost - "I Will Die In It" from I Will Die In It (2025)

4.5/5. A well-done piece of gothic/industrial metal by this German band.

Genitorturers - "Liars Lair" from Sin City (1998)

4/5. Opening things up further is where Genitorturers continue riding through different stylistic territories.

Sonic Violence - "Tortured (Dub)" from Jagd (1990)

4.5/5. This next track is quite an effective one. It starts with a sample of Mozart's "Dies Irae". Then we have devastating on-off guitar riffing in mechanical greatness. You can also hear some lovely synths later on. The harsh vocals fit greatly with the lyrics.

Old - "Disconnect Self" from Lo Flux Tube (1991)

4/5. Deathly experimental industrial metal when an 8-bit-ish bass. "BODY TURN...TO ASH...TURN...TO MEMORY!!!!!"

Nine Inch Nails - "Wish" from Fixed (1992)

4.5/5. The 9-minute remix of the most well-known single of Broken, is given a minute-and-a-half long drum beat intro that crescendos into the dominating main riff.

The Amenta - "Vermin" from n0n (2008)

5/5. Another f***ing monster. It takes some time to patience to actually dig this kind of chaos, and when you do, it's all worth the experience. The vicious vocals ranging between growls, screams, and whispers are so haunting!

White Zombie - "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains" from Astro-Creep: 2000 - Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head (1995)

4.5/5. This is probably one of the least popular songs amongst the earlier metalheads. Being the young modern metal listener I am, I like it. There's more of a Static-X vibe here which isn't too bad. One of the most metal songs in the album!

Ministry - "Stigmata" from The Land of Rape and Honey (1988)

4/5. One of the best tunes displayed in its original album kicks it off with fuzzy keyboard riffing. Al Jourgensen would enter the scene with a howl of maximum distortion. The riff and beat drives the song through well.

Oddko - "D4TM" from Digital Gods (2020)

4.5/5. "D4TM" stands for "Dope for the Masses". More like "Dope for the Mad Maxes"! If you've watched the music video, you would know what I mean. This is more of a punk-ish cyber/industrial metal track. Cyberpunk has gotten a new meaning!

Deathstars - "CyberGore Generation" from Damage Theory (2010)

5/5. This standout can almost be considered "Cyber-core", blending together the cyber metal of Deathstars with a bit of the melodic metalcore of Memphis May Fire, The Autumn Offering, and Of Mice & Men.

Neurotech - "Uplift" from Evasive (2015)

4.5/5. This is the closest we have to intense heaviness, actually being the only symphonic industrial metal track in Evasive in terms of vibe.

Mechina - "Unearthing the Daedalian Ancient" from As Embers Turn to Dust (2017)

5/5. The greatest symphonic-ish highlight is followed by the greatest cyber one with this darker, heavier, more epic take on the old-school technicality of Alchemist, Dark Angel, and Pestilence. Another strong climatic composition!

Pain - "I Am" from I Am (2024)

4.5/5. Pain shall never stop! The band, of course.

Poppy - "All the Things She Said" from All the Things She Said (2020)

4/5. The edition of I Disagree I was reviewing includes a bonus cover of this t.A.T.u. hit, and interestingly enough, this is one of my favorite tracks of that album, fitting in the "metalizing covers" category by adding in dark alt-/industrial metal drama while staying true to the original. If that isn't Poppy's most emotional moment, I don't know what is!

Celldweller - "Into the Void - Sebastian Kromor Remix" from Satellites (Remixed) (2023)

4.5/5. Amazing hellfire in this remix! "Baptized by Fire" should get a similar treatment.

Tyrant of Death - "Anchorite" from Superior Firepower (2019)

4/5. Something so simple yet blasting should end up in the DOOM soundtrack. The artwork for its original album fits well with the music. Alex Rise shows his kick-A talent from beginning to end. This is especially true throughout the second third of the track. Keep up the heaviness, Alex!

Shum - "F64.00" from Pulzáló dobok tisztítják meg az eget (2024)

3.5/5. This is where things start to rotate in experimental territory.

Bliss Signal - "Swarm" from Drift (2018)

3/5. And then some blackgaze gets added to the sound.

Neo Inferno 262 - "Of Angels and Silicon" from Pleonectic (2023)

3.5/5. Maybe some strange distorted angel chanting added here as well.

Deathstars - "No Light" from Synthetic Generation (2002)

4/5. Then we get back to more familiar territory with another strong track by Deathstars.

The Project Hate MCMXCIX - "Solemn" from Death Ritual Covenant (2018)

4.5/5. The grand finale, having the melancholic melodeath of Omnium Gatherum while still covered in electro-industrial beauty.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!